Key-space.



A. P. DIXON L R. R. IRELAND'.

KEY SPACE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11,1910.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

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UNITED STAIElFA'IENI FFIEE.

AIVIOS F. DIXON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, .AND ROY R. IRELAND, OF NEW' YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEI/V YORK, N. Y., .A COR- PORAIION OF ILLINOIS.

KEY-SPACE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, Anios F. DixonY and ROY R. IRELAND, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, and New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Key- Spaces, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

Our invention relates to telephone exchange switchboards and more particularly to a novel key space for use in the keyshelves of such a board.

As is well known in the art, when a section of switchboards is installed the keyshelf is usually not equipped to its full capacity and the space not occupied by the keys necessary for the operation of the circuits of that section is lled in wit-h spacing bars commonly called key spaces. Heretofore, it has been necessary to attach the keys and key spaces to the shelf by means of screws passing through said keys or spaces and engaging supporting bars. The objections to this arrangement are that the key and spaces can be mounted only in certain definite positions longitudinally of the key shelf and the drilling of the keys and spaces and the drilling and tapping of the supporting bars of the keyshelf is a tedious and expensive operation.

The object of our invention is to provide a key space which may be fitted into the keyshelf and be secured therein by reason of locking engagement with the adjacent keys or key spaces, thus doing away with the use of screws or other separate locking means for securing the key spaces in place.

In the accompanying drawings the key space is illustrated for use in a keyshelf in which locking bars are secured in pairs adjacent to and parallel to the opposite sides of said keyshelf, each pair being adapted to receive a locking stud on the key.

In said drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation of our improved key space with parts of the keyshelf in dotted lilies; Fig. 2 is a bottom view illustrating two of the key spaces in place in a. keyshelf; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the key space.

As shown in the drawings, the key space comprises a body portion 5 of any suitable material finished to match the key tops. At each end the body portion of the key space is cut away or notched on its lower side to form depending lugs 6 and 7 which when the space is in place project downwardly bctween the pairs of bars 9 and 10 at opposite sides of the key shelf. Each of said lockingl lugs G and 7 is but half the width of the space between each pair of bars and the lugs atthe opposite ends are located different distances from the ends of the body portion of the key space; the lug 6 at one end being adapted to lie closely adjacent to the inner bar 9 of the pair, while the lug 7 at the other end of said body portion is adapted to lie closely adjacent to the outer bar 10 of the pair. Each of said projecting lugs is provided with laterally projecting pins or studs 12, 12 which, when the key space is in place, project beneath and engage the lowei` faces of the top plates of the adjacent keys. In case it is desired to place a plurality of these key spaces adjacent to each other in the keyshelf, it is necessary only' to reverse the ends of adjacent ones-that is to say, in one key space the lug G will be located at one side of the board while the next adjacent .space will have its lug 7 located adjacent to the same side of the board. Then arranged in this manner the pins or studs 12, 12 will engage the under sides of the reduced portions of the adjacent key space as shown in Fig. 2.

The elimination of t-he screws in our structure, the convenience of mounting and the cheapness with which it may be constructed are all desirable features of the device.

We claim l. A key space comprising a body portion provided with a notched portion at each end thereof and laterally projecting locking members located near each end of said body portion.

2. A key space comprising a body portion provided with a notched portion at each end thereof, depending lugs formed by said notched portions, and laterally projecting pins mounted in said lugs.

3. A key space comprising a body portion provided with a notched portion at each end In Witness whereof, We hereunto subscribe thereof, a depending lug formed by each of our names this 9th day of June A. D. 1910.

said notched portions, each of said lugs loe- AMOS F. DIXON.

ing spaced a different distance 'from the ad- ROY R. IRELAND. jacent end of said body portion, and a pin l W'itnesses:

projecting laterally from each, side of each MORGAN VASHBURN, J r.,-

of said lugs. IRVING MACDONALD. 

